The Shadowlands
by Scriptique
Summary: A VERY different story from the Shadowlands.
1. Ak-Baba

1- Ak-Baba  
  
The music was filling Lief's mind stronger now. Maybe it was because the Pipe was finally complete now? Or is it because the Pipe is nearing it's home-place, the current Shadowlands. The former Pirra.  
  
"So how are we going to deal with the belt?" Jasmine asked dryly. She was still angry with Lief for being very secretive.  
  
Lief paused. He hasn't thought of this before. Because if he leaves the belt here, Deltora would be in danger while he's in the Shadowlands. But if he stopped here and not enter the Shadowlands, what would his people in there think of him? An unworthy king? History would definitely repeat itself. And not just that. Barda and Jasmine would end up dead even before they take their 2nd step on Shadow grounds.  
  
Suddenly, while he was pondering this, a great black bird dimmed the sky.  
  
"Run for cover!" Barda cried, "It's an Ak-Baba!"  
  
They looked around for any hiding place, but could only see plain ahead.  
  
"Lief, your cloak!" Jasmine yelled. "It may cover us well. An Ak-Baba couldn't see well in broad daylight!"  
  
Lief untied his cloak that has covered them up well on more than 1 occasion. Barda and Jasmine quickly threw the cloak around them and all 3 huddled together, hoping against hopes that the Ak-Baba wouldn't see them.  
  
And Jasmine was right. The Ak-Baba just flew on ahead towards north in great speed.  
  
"It's like he's in haste," Barda muttered. "Maybe delivering a message to the Shadow Lord."  
  
"Whatever he's delivering, it looks like the Shadow Lord is planning to attack us again," said Lief. His heart was heavy. For if the Shadow Lord attacks Deltora, he has to be here to defend it.  
  
Jasmine seemed to be reading his mind. "So, you're going to leave us to defend Deltora," she said softly. Lief turned to look at her, but her head was looking away from him.  
  
"We shall see," said Lief, "We would decide what to do when we've arrived at the borders."  
  
"The Ak-Baba is out of sight now," Barda said. He threw the cloak off him and stood up. "I don't like this plain. It's like the savage land of the City of the Rats, but this one's worse. I feel like 100 eyes are watching my back. We could be easily seen from the sky!"  
  
Lief took the cloak of Jasmine and offered his hand. Jasmine look at it, then turned away. "I know how to get up," she snapped.  
  
Lief stared in skepticism. Why, he only offered his hand, that's all. 


	2. The Decision

They arrived at the borders before they knew it. The border was, after all, a broad lake that's one of the many branches of The Broad. And now everything seemed to be holding it's breath, waiting for Lief's decision. Finally, after a time of silence, Jasmine exclaimed for his plan.  
  
"I cannot make my mind up!" Lief yelled. He's patience had got the better of him. Jasmine cowered for a moment, then remembering her dignity, stood straight and stuck her chin up.  
  
"If you cannot make your mind up before sunrise tomorrow," She shouted as loud as Lief, "Then I'm going to go by myself!"  
  
"Fine!" yelled Lief. He didn't care what Jasmine does. He's the king, anyway. And all this time she had been sniping at him, it's about time she does what the king wants.  
  
He sat down as far from Jasmine as possible, looking towards the south, with the sun sinking in his right. He tried to think of anything restful, and wondered what might be happening in Del right now. But danger in Del has been nagging his mind ever since he left. So he placed his hand on the Topaz. The gem has helped him find answers before... could it work him now?  
  
But all the Topaz did was calm him down. By the time the evening has fallen, he was so calm he stood up and joined Barda and Jasmine's camp.  
  
"Have you made up your mind yet?" She snapped.  
  
"No. Look, Jasmine, I'm sorry I yelled at you. I..."  
  
"Don't bother about apologies," she said coldly. Then, in a softer voice, she continued: "All I want is my sister. Good night to you both." She climbed the tree where they were camping and stayed on the highest branch. Filli chattered in happiness of being back in a tree, and Kree landed on her shoulder. She seemed to be talking about her feelings to the animals.  
  
"Aren't you hungry?" Lief called from below. Jasmine stirred and for a moment, Lief thought she was coming down. But she didn't. She just said: "I'm not." very quietly that Lief had to strain his ears.  
  
"Poor girl," Uttered Barda. "She didn't seem to be herself ever since she knew that she had a sister. And your Toran bride..."  
  
"Ma... That girl from Tora is not going to be my bride!" Lief exclaimed. He felt himself blushing and he almost told Barda the truth, but decided to keep his mouth shut. Not now. Not until we have got the deltorans out of the Shadowlands.  
  
He sat down beside Barda and took one of the dried fruits from his bag. He paused, then put it back down.  
  
"I am not hungry either," he said. He stood and glanced up to Jasmine. She was looking down at him. Lief smiled and threw the fruit at her. She caught it. "Eat something," he said, "You'll need it for tomorrow."  
  
He walked away and sat again where he sat before. Stars had began to appear. Which should he decide? He hung his head and thought deeply.  
  
Back in the tree, Jasmine was staring at the fruit that Lief gave her.  
  
You know what he feels about you! Kree clicked his beak. And I heard him talking in his sleep at the Plume's. He keeps on saying: "I love her. I have to protect her"  
  
"Well I don't," Jasmine snorted, "And maybe he's talking about that pretty bride."  
  
To tell you the truth, Filli chattered, she is pretty. And she and Lief makes a perfect pair. Filli's plan was to catch any emotion in Jasmine. And it worked, but just for a moment. Jasmine stirred, then said: "I don't care. Think what you please."  
  
Below, she heard Barda move and lie down. And ahead she saw Lief sitting, facing the south.  
  
Maybe thinking what's happening in Del and the girl. She thought bitterly.  
  
Lief heard, or rather felt, something flying overhead. He opened his eyes. He didn't realize he had fallen asleep. Why had he given in to slumber?  
  
He turned his head to the sky and what he saw made his heart stop beating. And there were the seven Ak-Babas, all screeching triumphantly. Lief scrambled to his feet and held on to the belt, and drew his sword. 


	3. The Shadowlord

Jasmine leapt lightly from the tree and looked at Lief. Her eyes full of rage.  
  
"What's going on?" She shouted, "I thought Ak-Babas aren't allowed to be in Deltora unless you or the belt is lost!"  
  
Lief shrugged. The Ak-Babas circled around their heads with cries of victory. The sky was as red as ruby.  
  
As red as ruby. Something hit his mind. He glanced down at the belt and saw the emerald and ruby at it's palest. And then, it grew cold. Very cold.  
  
"Where's Barda?" Jasmine gasped, trying to throw rocks at the birds. Kree was also fighting at the sky with another Ak-Baba. Lief tore his eyes away from the belt and looked at where Barda slept, but saw nothing. Where could he be at this moment?  
  
"Lief, behind you!" Jasmine shrieked. She stopped throwing rocks and ran to him. Lief spun around and saw Barda, a wild glint in the eyes, groping for his throat As strong as iron he gripped Lief's throat. Lief struggled for breath, but Barda was too strong. Much too strong. What's wrong with him?  
  
And then he saw, out of the corner of his eye, Jasmine jump and attacked Barda. She quickly took her dagger and poised it at Barda's throat.  
  
"You're not hurting Lief!" She said with savage fury. But Barda only laughed. And his laugh was like a mock to Jasmine, which made her even angrier.  
  
"I was only joking," Barda sneered. "It's been a long time since I saw you smile."  
  
Lief, who had been gathering breath, finally stood up and joined them.  
  
"He is not the old Barda," he rasped, "I saw his eyes shine with madness..."  
  
"I said I was only JOKING!" Barda bellowed, the wild glint was back in his eyes. He threw Jasmine off that she flew and landed on the ground, unconscious. He went to Lief and began making wild gestures.  
  
Lief, bewildered, slashed his sword warningly and back away from him. He didn't want to kill Barda. And he certainly didn't want to get killed. Barda laughed a mirthless laugh.  
  
The laugh. It was like giving Lief a clue. A resistance of something. And then he felt his back hit the trunk of the tree. Trapped.  
  
Barda hovered over to him. "Try and kill me," he sneered. "And you will be killing your friend too." Suddenly he hit himself and crouched. "Don't listen to him!" came another voice from Barda. A pleading voice. "He's the Shadow Lord!" Suddenly he hit himself again and then stood up.  
  
"Your friend has been fighting resistance, just like those people of yours that are in my land," he said. "And now I have borrowed this man's body to finish you off. To take revenge."  
  
For a moment Lief's mind went blank. And then he remembered Doom's plan at the start of their journey. But he had to distract him. Keep him talking.  
  
"Well, why didn't you kill me when I was sleeping all those times at the Pirran Islands?" he said confidently.  
  
"Ah, but my power is not strong enough to overcome that defense of yours. I had to get nearer my own land."  
  
"How did you get inside Barda's body?"  
  
Barda flexed his hands, as if itching to grasp it around Lief's neck. But he answered Lief's question first. "At Noradz. When he came there. My people knows of his coming. Reported it to me straight away. Went there straight away on an Ak-Baba in the form of a mind-slug. Knew that my plan will work perfectly. Now, satisfied?" He took a step forward.  
  
"Wait!" Lief cried. Pointing his sword at Barda's heart, he continued, "Don't you know you have an daughter here in Deltora?"  
  
Barda stopped. His face full of confusion. "A daughter?" he asked, "But I never had a daughter, and never will. I am supposed to be immortal, and don't need an heir. That's why I never loved anyone!"  
  
"Oh but you do," said Lief, "You have a daughter here in the name of Marilen" 


	4. Truth and Lies

"You LIAR!" Barda screamed. "I NEVER HAD A CHILD!"  
  
The plan is working! Though this moment wasn't to come too soon, Lief thought.   
  
"Oh, but yes," He jeered. "Don't you remember the woman you loved..."  
  
"I NEVER LOVED CLEMINTYNE!" Barda yelled.  
  
This time, Lief stared at him in disbelief. The plan was to make the Shadowlord, if they were to meet him, think that he had a child while he was in Deltora. It wasn't meant to be true; It was just to make him go insane and lose control of himself. But it seems that the story Lief was making up was true!  
  
Yet he continued. For out of the corner of his eye he saw Jasmine quietly muttering, and knew that she was instructing the tree to do her bidding.  
  
"Don't be a fool," Lief continued. "Why, wasn't it the first time you actually felt an emotion?"  
  
Barda, or rather, the Shadowlord shivered and shrieked. It was a horrible moment. The Ak-Babas circling above wheeled in panic, as if they too could not stand the scream. Barda put his hands in his head and yelled: "No, no!!   
  
It cannot be true!!"  
  
Just then, a tree branch fell on top of him and the screams subsided. The Ak-Babas shrieked in their turn and flew back to the Shadowlands, leaving Lief and Jasmine in shock. 


	5. Peaceful Death

"I am sorry Barda," Jasmine whispered. The big man lay limply in Jasmine and Lief's arms, but he was still conscious. He was breathing evenly now, but both Jasmine and Lief knew that he wouldn't live longer than this.  
  
Barda struggled to speak. "Do--not-- worry. You--did what--is--right..." He smiled, "And I never--thought I'd--live--to see you both--show feelings..." He closed his eyes and recieved death with a smile upon his peaceful face.  
  
Jasmine burst into tears and reached for Lief for comfort. Lief felt hot tears springing from his eyes. He felt many feelings: first sadness, because Barda is at peace now. Then pain, for he knew he would never hear the loved voice of Barda. And finally mad, and felt that he would never forgive the Shadowlord. He had murder upon his heart and felt anger like he had never before felt since he found Dain a traitor.  
  
"Well, well. Look what we have here. A brave lady and a gallant king."  
  
Lief and Jasmine jumped, reaching for their weapons, and turned to see who was speaking. A cold gush of wind met them. Ol? Another Shadowlord sorcery?  
  
None of them had ever thought of what they would see.   
  
For the very first time in the history of Deltora, none but Lief and Jasmine had met the Shadowlord. 


	6. The Pirran Pipe

The Shadowlord was big: as tall as the tree behind them. He was wearing a cloak and a hood which partly covered a mask. All in gray and black, he looked like the Guardian of the Diamond: only much worse.  
He raised his hand. Suddenly a wave of pain shot through Lief and Jasmine's mind. Like an earthquake, rattling their minds until they screamed for a stop.   
  
Both of them lay sprawled in the ground. The Shadowlord laughed horribly.  
  
"Why, isn't King Lief protected by the fabled Belt?" He jeered. "And you are thinking how I could be in here, when the Belt is supposed to hold me back? Well, my dear friends, look around you!"  
  
His head throbbing with pain, Lief managed to look around and smothered a cry.  
  
They weren't by the stream. They weren't even in Deltora. They were at the heart of the Shadow Lands. Once the beautiful land of Pirra.  
  
The Shadowlord had tricked them.   
  
But of course! Lief thought angrily at his own stupidity, The arm of the Broad isn't the border lining against the Shadowlands, but the mountain ranges beside Dread Mountain! And all these time we were actually walking at the Shadowlands! How well did the Shadowlord created his Illusions!  
  
But the Shadowlord had forgotten one thing. The Pirran Pipe.  
  
As he thought of the name, sweet music broke through his thoughts. It calmed him. His thoughts went clear. He felt happiness, faith, and hope flare up in him. It was as though he was touching the gems of the Belt each at a time.  
  
His hand went up to touch the Pipe subconsciously. The Shadowlord stopped laughing as he saw what he was doing. He trembled at the sight of it and snatched Jasmine from the ground threatening to kill her.  
  
But Lief heard nothing: Only the sound of the Pipe filled his mind. He knew that the Shadowlord could not touch him nor hurt him as long as his hand lingered on the pipe. He also did not hear Jasmine's screams to him: Yet he felt peace at the sound of her voice. He calmly put the mouthpiece of the Pipe to his lips and blew.  
It was like a dream. He felt as if he wasn't the one who was playing Pipe. It was as if the ancient Piper of Pirra was flowing though him, making him play it. It cannot truly be him: He had never played a pipe before!  
  
Yet his fingers played the first few tunes of music. And the music flowed through Pirra for the first time since the warring tribes left it. 


End file.
